Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Will news consumers trust Brian Williams again?

Questions about credibility have removed Brian Williams from the anchor chair, while Jon Stewart -- not a journalist but a comedian who critiques the news -- has to decided to bow out. What does it mean for American media? Judy Woodruff speaks with Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute, former president of ABC News David Westin and Max Frankel, former New York Times executive editor.

In our news wrap Wednesday, the United Kingdom and France joined the U.S. in closing their embassies in Yemen. Also, U.S. intelligence leaders testified at a House hearing that some 20,000 foreign fighters have joined the Islamic State militants despite a military campaign against them.

NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams was suspended on Tuesday for six months without pay for misrepresenting his experience while covering the Iraq War -- an exaggeration that triggered an investigation and more questions. On the same night, Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, announced he would be retiring from the satirical news program this year. Judy Woodruff reports.

President Obama formally asked Congress for military authorization to fight the Islamic State, triggering the first war powers vote since 2002 with the invasion of Iraq. The proposal rules out "enduring offensive combat operations" and calls for a three-year time limit on the authorization. Jeffrey Brown gets reaction to the request from Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D.-Va.

David Axelrod, once a political reporter who became a political advisor, was the chief strategist for then-Sen. Barack Obama’s successful presidential bid in 2008. He discusses his years in the Obama administration and his enduring optimism in his new book, “Believer: My Forty Years in Politics.” Axelrod joins Judy Woodruff to share his view of the president and the political system.

Cartoonist Scott McCloud, best known for the “Understanding Comics” series, talks about “The Sculptor,” his first graphic novel and his first work of fiction in over 30 years.For more Art Beat: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/

President Obama on Wednesday sent Congress a resolution to authorize use of military force against the Islamic State militants. He said in a televised address that the resolution is not meant to commit ground forces to the fight, but to give the military the flexibility to respond to “unforeseen circumstances” for a period of three years.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

PBS NewsHour full episode Feb. 10, 2015

Tuesday on the NewsHour, the White House pushes for authorization of military force against the Islamic State as another American hostage is confirmed dead. Also: What’s become of the search for the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, repairing relations between police and communities, alternatives to slums in India, containing measles in the U.S and a conversation with the author of “Still Alice.”

In California, a parent reportedly invited others to a “measles party” -- a way to intentionally expose unvaccinated children to the virus with the goal of building immunity. Rear Adm. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the status of the recent outbreak and what misinformation about the virus could be harmful.

Since world leaders and celebrities showed their support for the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign last spring, what has become of efforts to find and return the young female mass kidnapping victims of Boko Haram? Jonathan Miller of Independent Television News reports that many in Nigeria have lost interest in their fate, but a dedicated group keeps vigil.

Confronted by her own grandmother’s illness, writer and neuroscientist Lisa Genova started her exploration of Alzheimer’s with one question: What does it actually feel like to have the disease? Her resulting novel, “Still Alice,” was adapted into a film that has been nominated for an Academy Award. Jeffrey Brown interviews Genova about why she turned to fiction.

Slum Dwellers International, an advocacy organization started in India, has had success rallying large numbers of marginalized people to push for their rights and get basic amenities like toilets, electricity and permanent shelter. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro talks with founder Jockin Arputham about his lifelong calling to improve living conditions and empower communities.

Around the nation, from Ferguson to Staten Island to Albuquerque, communities are grappling with the aftermath of deaths caused by police officers who used lethal force. Gwen Ifill talks to Cornell William Brooks of the NAACP and Richard Berry of the International Association of Chiefs of Police about how to repair strained relations and curb the use of excessive force by law enforcement.

The confirmed death of Kayla Mueller, another American hostage held by the Islamic State, comes as White House is reportedly preparing to ask for congressional authorization to fight the militant group. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner and political editor Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss what might go into the president’s resolution.

The family of Kayla Jean Mueller confirmed that the 26-year-old aid worker has been killed. Over the weekend, Islamic State militants sent them unspecified evidence of their daughter's death. The Arizona native was working with refugees on the Turkey-Syria border when she was taken captive in 2013. Gwen Ifill reports.

In our news wrap Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claimed on the BBC that he is getting information on the U.S. air campaign against the Islamic State indirectly through third parties. Also, there were reports that the U.S. embassy in Yemen is closing and diplomats evacuated amid growing chaos.

For Geppetto’s Junkyard, a puppetry troupe based in Haines, Alaska, near the Canadian border, few topics are off limits. The puppeteers find that they can say anything they want with a puppetFor more Art Beat: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/

Monday, February 9, 2015

PBS NewsHour full episode Feb. 9, 2015

Monday on the NewsHour, the U.S. and Europe debate strategies to stop the conflict in Ukraine. Also: A legal showdown over same-sex marriage in Alabama, the week ahead in politics with Amy Walter and Nia Malika-Henderson, holding police accountable for using excessive force, documenting gender oppression around the world and a basketball coach’s legacy on and off the court.

Gwen Ifill talks to Nia-Malika Henderson of The Washington Post and Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report about early efforts by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to make an impact on the 2016 presidential race, plus what HIllary Clinton is doing behind the scenes.

Dean Smith, former head coach of men’s basketball at the University of North Carolina, has died at age 83. He led his team to two national championships and earned a place in the Hall of Fame, but is best remembered for his mentorship to players, including Michael Jordan. Judy Woodruff speaks with sportswriter John Feinstein about how Smith strived to do the right thing on and off the court.

Journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have exposed widespread problems of abuse, sex trafficking and violence against women in Africa and Asia. Now they also bring their focus home, shining a light on the ways American women are commonly hurt, deprived and exploited. Jeffrey Brown talks to them about their new book and documentary series on PBS, “A Path Appears.”

The Albuquerque Police Department has come under national scrutiny for shootings involving officers, including 28 fatal incidents in the last five years. In March, two policemen shot and killed a mentally ill homeless man, all captured on a body camera. Unlike other high-profile cases around the country, these officers were charged. Special correspondent Kathleen McCleery reports from New Mexico.

President Obama and Germany’s leader Angela Merkel showed unity in their support for an end to fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels, but there have been signs of a rift over whether to send arms to the Ukrainian government. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner joins Gwen Ifill to discuss what the president may do and the relationship between the two leaders.

In 2006, Alabama voters overwhelmingly passed a ban on gay marriage. Last month a federal court lifted that law, but the state’s supreme court chief justice ordered judges to ignore the ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused an appeal to uphold the ban, allowing same-sex unions and setting up a legal showdown over state rights. Judy Woodruff talks to Joseph Smith of the University of Alabama.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Obama to discuss how to defuse fighting on the Ukrainian border. While Merkel has warned that adding more weapons to the equation would simply escalate the war, Obama said arming Ukrainian forces will remain on the table for the U.S. since Russia is arming the rebels. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner reports.

In our news wrap Monday, New England got walloped with another winter storm. Boston broke a 30-day snowfall record and the governor of Massachusetts said the state was struggling to find places to dump more snow. Also, the Italian coast guard rescued another boat of migrants adrift near Libya in the middle of extreme weather, but dozens died of hypothermia while being transported to shore.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode Feb. 8, 2015

On this edition for Sunday, February 8, 2015, diplomatic efforts intensify in seeking a solution to the conflict in Ukraine, an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in France have some Jewish citizens feeling under siege and others thinking about leaving, and what the monster Powerball jackpot may mean for education in your state. Alison Stewart anchors from New York.